Success Stories

Laleh Pour Sadegh Jegheh trained as a midwife in her home country of Iran, and upon moving to the UK, she dreamed of completing a Master’s degree but needed an English language GCSE to be accepted at university. In pursuit of achieving her dream, Laleh enrolled onto a one-year GCSE English Language course with Cambridge […]

George Allen left Impington Village College with a keen interest in film and photography and while he knew that he wanted to develop his skills and knowledge in media, he wasn’t sure how far he could take this ambition. George enrolled onto the L3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production course at Cambridge Regional College […]

UPS student and (CSM) Company Sargeant Major Rice, Whittlesey Detachment 1 Company, is appointed as RSM (Regiment Sargeant Major) after impressing his Company Commander with his leadership skills, ambition for the detachment and determination to inspire others. Uniformed Public Services student, Charlie Rice has been a member of the Army Cadet Force (ACF) since 2016 […]

After completing her Level 2 Health and Social Care, alongside GCSEs, Katherine Haward wanted to further her learning with a Level 3 Health and Social Care qualification to support her aspirations of becoming a nurse. Upon considering her options for further education, Katherine enrolled with Cambridge Regional College and commenced her two-year post-16 studies. Katherine […]

Jordan Howse attended secondary school in the North-East of England before moving to Cambridgeshire in 2019. After leaving school without the grades he required in maths and English, Jordan signed up with Cambridge Regional College. Having always had a keen interest in motor mechanics, Jordan enrolled on the Level 1 Motor Vehicle course and opted […]

Growing up, Jessica Ryan enjoyed imagining herself in a variety of careers often moving between the idea of being a neuroscientist, psychologist, or journalist, depending on her interests at the time. Upon gaining her GCSE’s, Jessica completed her A-Levels with Hinchingbrooke College before entering employment. Jessica said, “I was suffering with depression at that time, […]

Having completed a degree in Travel and Tourism, Joshua Obisanya secured a position as Business Apprentice with Cambridge Regional College, to gain industry experience and equip himself with an additional qualification to open up further opportunities as he moved forward with his career. Despite the challenges of completing an apprenticeship during the pandemic, Josh was […]

Dale Pinnock is a medicinal chef, Sunday Times best-selling author, nutritionist, presenter and former Cambridge Regional College student. We caught up with Dale on his recent visit to the Cambridge campus to film nutritional features with the BBC Morning Live team. “In my early education I kind of messed about a bit and didn’t do […]

During her teenage years, Imogen Smith was home-schooled, where she found herself enjoying art, cooking and sports. Living in a bilingual household, in which her father and younger brother have hearing impairements, led Imogen to start studying British Sign Language at the age of 14 and before she had turned 16, she had gained her […]

After completing her secondary education, Abbie Lowe attended Long Road Sixth Form College where she studied A-level Biology, Chemistry and English literature with a view to going to university to study childcare. With a university place already secured, Abbie began to reconsider her further education options and started to explore the ways in which she […]

While studying at Alec Hunter High School, Naomi Challis excelled at science and sport, holding the position of Head of Year and Head of Tutor Group respectively. Upon leaving school, Naomi attended college, but soon found that her priorities lay elsewhere. She subsequently left education to pursue full-time work and move out of her childhood […]

Care, Health and Early Years Apprentice, Hope Holliday has been named as Apprentice of the Year in the Cambridge Regional College Apprenticeship Awards. Hope studied at The John Henry Newman School where she completed her GCSE’s, followed by A-Levels in Science, before taking some time out to travel and experience the world. During her travels, […]

Following a difficult start to his secondary education, Nathan Clarke transferred to a specialist autistic school in Girton, Cambridge, where he thoroughly enjoyed his learning experience. Nathan was interested in studying business and attended an induction day at Cambridge Regional College but found that the environment didn’t really suit him. The college campus was large, […]

Wanting to develop in her role, Mandy Dunn commenced an apprenticeship with her employer, ASL and attended Cambridge Regional College to complete a Level 5 Management and Leadership Diploma. Several years later, Mandy returned to CRC to undertake the Level 5 CIPD qualification to further support her continued professional development. Mandy said, “I wanted to […]

Sam Norris knew from a very early age that he wanted to pursue a career in the motor vehicle industry and this dream was compounded further when he took up Speedway racing at the age of 12. While enjoying sports and science at school, Sam would spend his spare time racing at his local Speedway […]

After spending 30 years working in the entertainment industry, Dave Wiggins made the transition into teaching when he joined Cambridge Regional College in October 2020 as Creative Industries Lecturer in the Supported Learning department. As a young man starting out in his career, Dave had a passion for performing and wanted to make his hobby […]

Zara Downs attended Samuel Pepys School before moving to Shuttleworth College to study in the Farm College in Key Stage 4. In the Farm College, Zara spent time working in one of two groups that alternated between projects with animals and projects with plants, landscape, and horticulture. It was during this time that Zara discovered […]

After leaving school, Danielle Perry trained as a legal secretary while working in an office role and spent many years in the industry before a new employer offered her the opportunity to undertake further learning at the age of 46. Cambridge Regional College had been recommended as a good place for an adult learner to […]

Tony Ixer started his career journey with the Royal Military Police in 1985 before joining the Metropolitan Police in 1989. After 15 years with the Met, Tony transferred to Cambridgeshire Constabulary. He worked in various roles across the county including time as Policing Commander for Peterborough and Head of Intelligence for the force. When he […]

During her secondary years, Chloe Francis attended Lea Manor High School, Luton and upon completion of her GCSEs she moved away from formal education, following unforeseen personal circumstances. After several years in employment, Chloe felt that the only way for her to achieve her true potential was to return to education. At the age of […]

As a young man starting out on his own career path, Mark Fryer wanted to harness his love of engineering so secured himself an apprenticeship with Marshalls as a Heavy Goods Vehicle Mechanic. Throughout his early career, Mark gained his HGV qualifications and progressed up the career ladder to become Workshop Manager. After several years […]

Growing up, Harry Williamson and Steven Burry didn’t know each other but both recall fond memories of being exposed to the world of hairdressing from a young age. It was these early experiences that cemented their future and upon leaving school, Harry and Steven came together as they enrolled with Cambridge Regional College to study […]

Plamena Rafailova has always had a keen interest in business, studying it at GCSE at St. Peter’s School, Huntingdon and A-Level, at Long Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge. Upon completing her A-Levels in Criminology, Business and Media, Plamena secured an offer to study Law at university and set about preparing herself for the next stage […]

Upon leaving Bassingbourn Village College in 2001, Emma Anderson, enrolled onto the Contex course at Cambridge Regional College to pursue her love of art. On the course, Emma completed a variety of projects from design to poetry and in 2004, with the support of her mentors, Barry Matthews and Gill Eastland, Emma’s oil paintings were […]

Growing up, Simone Chalkley had a clear understanding of the importance of education and the doors it could open, but a lack of direction and inadequate support from her educators saw her leave school with just a few GCSEs. Another attempt to gain further qualifications at Cambridge Regional College saw Simone achieve one further GCSE, […]

Nicola Milton, a Functional English and GCSE English teacher at Cambridge Regional College recently published a blog detailing the positive journey she had experienced in using Jamboard, an online interactive whiteboard tool. Nicola enthusiastically shared how the platform became an effective tool in engaging with her learners, enabling them to work more collaboratively in new […]

Daniel Kimber always had a keen interest in sport, but it was after choosing GCSE Physical Education that his passion really began to develop as he started to explore the theory side of sports. As his interest in pursuing a career in sport grew, Daniel knew he wanted to focus his attention on football, so […]

Originally from Bulgaria, Elisa Brashkova moved the England at the age of 17 with plans to continue her further education. Initially settling in Bournemouth, Elisa found that she wasn’t happy, so re-located to Cambridge. Keen to pick up on her studies, Elisa enrolled onto the Access to Business and Economics course with Cambridge Regional College […]

Upon leaving school, Connor Ferguson secured an apprenticeship with global technologies company, Johnson Matthey and enrolled with Cambridge Regional College to study a BTEC Level 3 in Applied Science. Alongside this, Connor completed a National Vocational Qualification in Laboratory Studies. Following completion of his apprenticeship, Connor secured a full-time role with the company where he […]

Columbian born, Faber Rodrigues-Paraz had a long-term goal of moving to England to be a lorry driver, however he didn’t speak any English or have the necessary licence to enable him to drive heavy goods vehicles in the UK. In the summer of 2019, while working as a lorry driver in Spain, Faber enrolled onto […]

Following completion of his GCSE’s at Cottenham Village College, Callum Hughes progressed to Long Road Sixth Form College to complete his A-levels. Unfortunately, his results didn’t leave much option for university, so Callum decided to take a break from education to explore alternative career paths and it was this time away that gave Callum the […]

Jingting Li was born and raised in China and after two years of studying at Zhengzhou Middle School in her hometown, she made the decision to move to England. With a long-term goal of attending university, Jingting needed to further her studies to follow her desired pathway. Having researched the options for undergraduate studies, Jingting […]

Thomas Smith had a keen interest in sports from a very young age and while he was initially happy to get involved in sports at every opportunity, he started to become aware of the difference in physical capabilities between himself and his peers. Tom was born with Achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, and as his […]

Parichat Tachadee, known as Ploy to her friends and colleagues, is announced as winner in the Cambridge Regional College Catering Apprenticeship Industry Challenge 2021. Ploy first became aware of her passion for catering when she chose to study Food Technology at Newmarket Academy. Ploy enjoyed the subject and found that she had a natural ability […]

Cambridge Regional College applauds assessors and apprentices during National Apprenticeship Week as they continue to face the challenges of being key workers through the pandemic. Julie Thorogood has been employed by Cambridge Regional College in a variety of roles for over twenty years, most recently as Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) for Health and Social Care. […]

Sarah-Jane Farrow attended St Ivo School during her secondary years and as she approached the time to consider her post-16 options, she found that she didn’t really have a clear idea of what direction to take. Sixth Form didn’t offer the course that she wanted to undertake, so she enrolled at Cambridge Regional College on […]

Kirsty Minney left Sandy Upper School at the age of 16 and after working for short spells in retail and hospitality, she dedicated her time to her growing family. When her youngest child started school, Kirsty started to think about getting back into employment and set her sights on an apprenticeship. With very little experience […]

At the age of 14yrs, Daisy was subjected to a devastating life-changing incident that turned her world on its head. The years that followed were turbulent and traumatic, and the circumstances of the situation resulted in Daisy being taken into the care of the local authority, after which she was home-schooled for safeguarding reasons. In […]

Matilda Ramnani developed a keen interest in sports during her secondary years at Hertfordshire and Essex High School and, despite being advised that she was not good enough to study Physical Education at GCSE, her desire to be an athlete didn’t go away. At the age of 15yrs, Matilda joined Broxbourne Rowing Club and developed […]

Level 2 Barbering students were joined by Headz Up Manager, James Sibley in a video call presentation and Q & A session exploring the world of barbering. James explained that while barbering has always been part of his life, with his family owning a salon and barbers in Brampton, it wasn’t something he thought he […]

The secondary education experience that Naomi Whitney had led her to leave school with little in the way of qualifications. Naomi entered full-time employment and, some years later, completed a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) as part of her continual professional development. Completing this work-based qualification gave Naomi the confidence to pursue her dream of going […]

After completing his secondary education, Patrick Hamilton entered employment within the healthcare industry as a Support Worker in the substance misuse field, a vocation that he thoroughly enjoyed. After several years of working in the sector, Patrick made the decision to return to education to work towards a career in Social Work. After researching his […]

After completing his secondary education, Patrick Hamilton entered employment within the healthcare industry as a Support Worker in the substance misuse field, a vocation that he thoroughly enjoyed. After several years of working in the sector, Patrick made the decision to return to education to work towards a career in Social Work. After researching his […]

Returning to full-time education after a period away is a big decision at anytime but finding yourself in the middle of a global pandemic while studying and working in the healthcare industry, increases the need to focus on mental health and wellbeing. After a period away from formal education, Vicky Gois made the decision to […]

Cadet Sergeant Charlie Rice is set to take on the equivalent of the 190-mile coast-to-coast challenge on foot, and in full kit, in a bid to raise funds and beat lockdown. Not one to be deterred by lockdown restrictions, Charlie has committed to complete the coast-to-coast challenge by hiking around his local Fenland countryside to […]

After enrolling to undertake A-levels at Cromwell Community College sixth form, Torianne Sharpe quickly realised that the way in which the academic qualifications were delivered and assessed did not suit her learning style, resulting in her take the decision to switch to vocational studies with Cambridge Regional College. This proved be the best decision for […]

Isobel DeWolff is a Learning Support Mentor with Cambridge Regional College’s construction department. As part of her Continued Professional Development Isobel’s line manager highlighted The British Sign Language course as a learning opportunity that would support her in her role. Isobel is required to work with students of all abilities and varying needs. This coupled […]

Iulia Dumintru initially joined CRC to complete her GCSEs and study music and it was during these studies that she received advice and guidance from the careers team in respect of her onwards journey. Iulia went on to apply for the Access to Higher Education in Business and spent a further year studying a range […]

After spending several years working in the animal care industry, Elizabeth Blunt enrolled with Cambridge Regional College to begin her journey to becoming a Vet. In researching her options for Higher Education, Elizabeth discovered that CRC was one of the only colleges in the area to offer all of the modules required by the veterinary […]

With aspirations of being an Art Teacher, Tristan Rose enrolled on the Foundation Art and Design course at CRC. The initial impression of the workshops being large, open spaces that were welcoming is what caught Tristan’s attention, along with the freedom the lecturers provided to enable learners to express themselves as artists. After graduating from […]

Access courses provide a stepping stone to Higher Education by providing study skills and academic knowledge for university. Upon leaving secondary education, Emma Julian entered employment in the care sector where she spent ten years undertaking a variety of roles. The knowledge and experience that she gained during this time gave Emma the opportunity to […]

Cambridge Regional College Uniformed Public Services student, Dwight Bruno, is appointed to the role of Assistant to the High Sheriff of Cambridge for the 20/21 year of office; an opportunity that will see Dwight accompany the High Sheriff on his official duties over the coming year. Dwight commented on the appointment, “I think it’s a […]

Jack Bitten studied at Abbey College Ramsey Secondary school and continued his education at Cambridge Regional studying Level 2 and Level 3 business. During the second year of his Level 3 studies, Jack undertook an information technology work-based placement with Chorus Homes Group. During his work placement, Jack worked on the IT Service Desk which […]

Former Applied Science student encourages learners that studying at CRC will set you up for a successful future working with leading companies in your chosen industry. Philip Bousfield was home-schooled until Year 11 and after securing his GCSEs he began to think about the next steps in his learning. Based on reputation and positive reviews, […]

After graduating from Cambridge Regional College (CRC) and pursuing their respective careers, former Catering and Hospitality students, Bradley Dorrington, Polly Sizer and Jacob Slater have come back together to form the management and catering team in the newly opened MJP Restaurant in Fen Ditton, MJP@The Shepherds. Having studied to Level 3 in Hospitality, Bradley and […]

Gregory Harrison studied Level 3 Engineering with CRC and upon the advice of his tutors, he found his own industry placement with a local haulage firm to support his learning and development over the summer break last year. Once back in the College, the Industry Placement team liaised with Explore Transport, filling out the necessary […]

While studying at Soham Village College, Shukti Narotam was given the opportunity to complete the bronze Duke of Edinburgh (D of E) Award. As a member of her local scouting group, Shukti was familiar with outdoor activities and in a bid to push herself out of comfort zone she signed up to the award. The […]

Luke Rampley began studying with Cambridge Regional College at the age of 16, on a Level 1 Catering course and progressed through to achieve his Level 2 and Level 3 Chef qualifications. Luke will now spend a year as Sous Chef in the catering kitchens. To support Luke with his career progression, CRC have developed […]

A decision between following her dream of becoming a chef and pursuing a career as a pharmacist meant that Aelia Cristea had a lot of thinking to do alongside preparing for her GCSEs at St Peter’s School, Huntingdon. After attending a range of open days, and researching the options available, Aelia reached the conclusion that […]

A chance opportunity to study an additional qualification with Cambridge Regional College, alongside his GCSE studies, opened up a whole new world of business for Jack Hilsden. Jack always had a strong sense that he would like to run his own property management business and in Year 10, he opted to undertake a Level 1 […]

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I enjoy the practical side of the job and learning new skills and techniques.

Level 3 Catering and Hospitality student, Lacey Russell, graduates from CRC and prepares to join the Concord Chef Development Programme. Lacey Russell didn’t always have such a clear idea of what her future may hold, leaving secondary school at 14yrs to join a supported learning programme with Cambridge Regional College to complete her GCSE’s and […]

Former Cambridge Regional College UPS student, George Hounsell, will begin training at Sandhurst in 2021 after passing the Army Officer Selection Board. Growing up with a life-long dream of joining the uniformed services meant that the only decision George needed to make upon completion of his secondary education at Comberton Village College, was the best […]

After securing an apprenticeship with Zeiss in Cambridge, Wesley returned to education with CRC, studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Upon leaving secondary school, Wesley signed up to an Apprentice Electrician role and believed that his future was set out before him, however, the unsteady employment market resulted in the loss of his apprenticeship and consequently […]

After moving to the UK as a young adult, Rosette started a family and worked part-time as a freelance translator while raising her children. While this offered a secure income for her family, Rosette felt as though she had more to give, so after a 30-year break from education, she decided to explore her options […]

Former Cambridge Regional College student, Bernardo Ferreira is currently appearing as a contestant on the hit BBC show Glow Up, a competitive series that follows aspiring make-up artists as they battle to prove they have what it takes to succeed in the industry. After completing his secondary education at Ernulf Academy, St Neots, Bernardo undertook his […]

Olivia Bail completed her secondary education at Hinchingbrooke School and upon securing her GCSEs, and a passion for Business Studies, she opted to continue her further education at Cambridge Regional College, Huntingdon Campus where she could focus fully on her love of business on a BTEC course. In September 2019, Olivia began a BTEC Foundation […]

A combination of work and study in Travel and Tourism put Camilla on track for a successful future in the industry. After completing her GCSEs at Impington Village College, Camilla opted to complete A-Levels at Long Road Sixth Form College. In spite of her hard work and persistence, it became clear that the academic style […]

A former Sports student is getting invaluable hands-on experience thanks to a sports apprenticeship with Norwich City Football Club. Abi is working towards a Level 3 PE and School Sport Delivery qualification with the city club and says it is a brilliant way to learn. “I am really enjoying my sports apprenticeship,” she said. “I have […]

Gemma Sessions has been named Health and Social Care Apprentice of the Year in annual awards organised by Cambridge Regional College. The awards are an opportunity to celebrate excellent employers and employees across the region. Gemma, 33, a dental nurse at So Dental, Chatteris, said: “Being a Health and Social Care apprentice has given me […]